Friday, August 16, 2013

Share the TRUST!

Today is Friday, a lovely day to tell God and our friends why we trust Him so much. People sometimes have a hard time understanding why we trust a God that we can't see with our lives. So let us spend sometime testifying today.

Let me start.

I trust God because I wake up every morning. I trust Him because He has taken care of me for almost 30 years and I'm still breathing. I trust Him because even though I've done many things that could have easily messed up my life, I still turned out kinda ok (lol). I trust God because He knows better than I do and He has proven it. I trust God because His timing is absolutely perfect and even when I gripe about stuff taking too long, He makes me wait because it's what's good for me. I trust God because He is God - all-knowing, all-powerful and tender loving. I trust God because trusting Him works!

Now it's your turn. Tell the world via Twitter, Facebook or comments on this blog post. Be sure to use the hashtag #Trust.

Let's tell the world!

Oh! I almost forgot. Just because you guys are being so awesome and are going to participate in this exercise, I'm going to give away two copies of my book Trusting God with your Future. Use the giveaway widget below to enter.


Sunday, August 11, 2013

Rags of filth

We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind. Isaiah 64:6 NLT

Yesterday I had a eureka moment.  It was one of those moments where something I always knew somewhere in the back of my head was suddenly shot forward into the space where current thoughts lie and started to make perfect sense.  No matter what I do for God,  no matter how important I am to any church,  no matter what title I hold, no matter how many books I write,  before God,  my knowledge is nothing. My "goodness"  is nothing, my righteousness is nothing, my importance is nothing,  I AM NOTHING! I am - we are - absolutely nothing without God. 

Many of us Christian sometimes forget how insignificant we are next to God.  Don't get me wrong, in God's eyes we are special and loved, but if we ever think that we have earned that love, then we need to go back to the basics.  No matter how good we are  or how righteous we try to live,  next to God we will appear like filthy rags.  Sin did that to us and only God can undo it.  Nothing I could ever say or write would make any sense without God. God is the one who makes me make sense.  Outside of him I'd be just blowing hot air.

So from this point forward I need to try to remember that even though I lead worship or dance or write books or write blogs that people like,  I am still NOTHING without God,  I can go NOWHERE without God. If more of us remember that, then there would be much less drama in our churches because let's face it,  a lot of our conflict stems from self importance.  A lot of preachers go rogue and preach nonsense because of self importance, a lot of heresy is preached because of self importance.  A lot of church members stress out their pastors because of self importance.

Remembering that it is God who makes us holy and clean and righteous will remind us that we are nothing outside of Him. Maybe then we will stop putting our own agendas and preferences ahead of His. 


Devotions like this one and others can be found in a handy collection in Kindle or paperback format. 
To grab your copy, click here. 

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Romeo's Redemption

It's the Official Launch day of Romeo's Redemption and I'm very exited to unveil a new book. This book, like all the others is very close to my heart and contains a dash of personal experience. Romeo's Redemption is not an ordinary lovers story, it's a story of real love lost and regained and all the turmoil that surrounds it.

Danley, our hero, is a conflicted 30-something who hasn't found a way to make his heart and his work co-habit. He spends so much time trying to "be somebody" that he loses sight of what's most important.

Sandy, our heroine, is hiding a terrible secret from her family, one that she shares with the love of her life who's way too distant to notice.

Join this pair as they travel on a roller coaster journey to find true love.

For today only, the kindle edition of Romeo's Redemption costs only $0.99. And, if you "like" the "Joana James, Author" Facebook page, you also have a chance to win a $10.00 Amazon gift-card.

Join in the Fun and grab something awesome to read whilst you're at it. For a taste of Romeo's Redemption, read the first chapter free before you buy.

Thanks for stopping by!